Dakar - Voter turnout in Senegal's presidential election was around 60 percent, according to initial estimates by the national electoral commission (CENA) on Sunday night.
“At 2230 GMT we had a voter turnout of a bit less than 60 percent, but this could change as counting continues,” the president of the commission, Doudou Ndir, told a press conference.
The electoral body said the election had taken place in a calm and disciplined manner despite “irritation, some problems and an unfortunate attack against a truck carrying polling material,” without elaborating.
Earlier Sunday a security source told AFP an army convoy escorting electoral material in the troubled southern Casamance region had been attacked by presumed separatist rebels.
Ndir condemned these violent acts on a day he described as a “beautiful expression of democracy.”
He said provisional results would be sent to regional offices by Tuesday afternoon and would be available countrywide by Friday.
“While waiting for official results to be announced, CENA asks Senegalese to keep calm,” he said, urging politicians to trust the electoral system.
Some 5.3 million Senegalese registered to vote in the country's most contentious election since independence, marred by violence over President Abdoulaye Wade's candidacy for a third term in office. - Sapa-AFP